|
|
|
|
Spring of 2005 with Troy L. Smith Where were you born and raised? I was born in Fort Green, Brooklyn. My grand parents were originally from Harlem across from Taft Projects. (115th street and Madison avenue.) They later moved to the Bronx, when Castle Hill was first built. They had not completed Castle Hill when my grand parents moved there. This was during the times of the Black Spades, around the early seventies. Who first bought your attention to Hip Hop?
When did you start hearing that in Brooklyn? In the late eighties. You was listening to Grand Master Flowers and D.J. Plummer back then? Yeah, but Flowers and them didn’t impress me. They played mostly Disco music like Pete D.J. Jones? Yeah , but I never paid one dime to go to any of those parties. I only knew of them through other people talking about them. I tell a brother in a minute I am going uptown. So when your man was playing “The Mexican” at that time, who was the main d.j. at that time? Bam and Herc. With my man it was a house party we didn’t even have a turntable and mixer. We had a regular stereo, taking the record off, putting the record on, back and forth. Cats really didn’t know about the Mexican, until Jelly Bean Benitez did the remix to it, that was back when the Roxy was open. They thought that was when it came out. Why did you pick m.c. over d.j.? I do both! To be honest I d.j.ed first, back in Castle Hill. I was in a group called the Sound Masters, we used my equipment. But I had more fun rhyming because it was more creative, because you actually had to sit down and write what you wanted to say, in contrast to putting two records on and mixing them back and forth. I mean that’s fun, don’t get me wrong. But to me, lyric making is better. Later on in life I got down with another crew called the “A Team.” The system they had was huge. Who was the Sound Masters? Those my boys, we all still in contact today. Your man Rubin aka Trey Dee. Me, and I was known then as Kid Pee O. M.C. Shelt La Rock, that n----- was nasty. Today he goes by the name Kazam. Then their was Dr. Kik. M.C. Kevie Kev. Did he ever go against Kevie Kev from Fantastic 5? Na, Kevie Kev from Sound Masters was too street for them. Every time we arranged a battle with them they never showed up. As far as the d.j.s, it was d.j. Pill, that’s my man he is my brother in-law. D.J. Slim. That’s my man Kenny Pierce, God Bless him, he died. Lightning Hands Billy Boy. Not your man Lightning Lance, my man Billy Boy would eat him up if given the chance. Billy wasn’t nothing to f--- with. The Sound Masters started in like 1973, 74 up into the late 80’s. We mostly rocked in Castle Hill and the parks up there. We rocked a lot with Bam. Bam would tell Pill where he was rocking and Pill would bring all of us. In the winter we used to rock a lot at Saint Andrews church on Castle Hill avenue. We rocked Kips Bay a lot too. By 81, 82 me, Shelt and Dr. Kik also got down with the Mark 5 crew. Also me and this other kid with the Mark 5 made up our crew called the Devastating 2. Now us as the Sound Master’s never battled any one because nobody ever wanted to f--- with us once they heard us. I was wondering about a battle or something because I don’t have any tapes of the Sound Masters. The only way you are going to get tapes of the Sound Masters if you go to Castle Hill and find old mother f------ who still got them. That was my thought concerning that and all the other original groups from the early days, such as the Furious 3 m.c.s, Kool Herc and the Herculoids. I finally got me a Funky 4 with Rahiem and they are doing routines together, such as the plop plop, fizz fizz routine and the Crazy Eddie routine. But I need more, so I have contemplated going up there and just chillin’ on Boston Road, University avenue and other known spots and just rock some party from back in the day out the car speakers and hope some of the cats from back in the days hear it and get open and lead me in the right direction. I hear you but to be honest with you I don’t even know if Trey Dee has any Sound Masters Tapes. No he doesn’t, I already asked. Who was one of your first favorite m.c.s back in the days? Casanova Fly Grand Master Caz.
What about Cowboy, was he down with them on this? Good question I am not sure. Also Disco King Mario was alive and he had the Chuck City Crew. I used to go to the school 174 on White Plains road. Half the cats that was down with Mario and Zulu went to school with me. I was right in the middle of all that. I went to school with the Jazzy Five m.c.s.. the Sound Masters were part of the Zulu Nation also. When did you become Just Ice? When I first got locked up I was twelve. I think I was 13 when I first became a 5 percenter. I was first locked up at a place called Holy Cross, Pius Twelve. It was way upstate New York, in Ryan Beck, New York. I was really sent there because I was too much for my parents to handle. It wasn’t a reform school and it wasn’t a lock up, lock up. I stayed there until I was sixteen. On my visits I was still coming back to Castle Hill. I would go home to Fort Green to put my bags down, but I would be on the train right back to the Bronx. So this is the time when you became Just Ice? Professionally Just Ice became my name when I made my first record in 1986. Unprofessionally, my name was Justice, as far as picking my attribute for the 5 percenters. My name became Just Ice as far as a m.c., there is a difference between Just Ice and Justice. To be called Just Ice is nothing nice. I wouldn’t want anybody to call me Just Ice in a negative way. That means that you are frozen mentally. You have no comprehension about s---. Anything under 32 degrees is Just Ice, it ain’t water any more. I have a lot of friends that call me 32 below. So how do you feel about that? That’s cool with me, because I am not the one that is frozen. I am the one that is doing the freezing. What made you write “Going way back”, which is one of my favorite cuts?
So did you have any connections with the Black Spades? No, because it seemed like every summer Black Spades and Castle Hill had beef for some stupid reason or another plus I was too young. Who was Muscle man and Melquan? That’s my man Muscle Man Ron from Castle Hill, he was down with the Sound Masters. Melquan is Divine Melquan. He is in the video with me for “Going way back.” In fact when I said his name I pointed to him. He had his own record label called “Your Making Records.” What is Pelan? Pelan is the Bronx, that is an island in the Aegean Sea. Medina is Brooklyn, Mecca is Manhattan, the Dessert is Queens. How did you and KRS1 and Scott La Rock get together? Whoa! Remember this club called Broadway International Disco? Scott La Rock was the house D.J. The House m.c.s were KRS, and this kid name Jerry Lee m.ced. I was going through some hard times and I needed some where to lay my head, Chris said he had some where for me to sleep at. I thought it was a house, he brings me to this f------ shelter. This stink ass shelter, and im saying to myself I ain’t got no where to live, I ain’t sleeping on no train, I might as well get a cot. I stayed there for a few months until I got some work then I got him some work. When you say work, you mean hustling or legit? Legit, it was construction There was a lady who ran the International. Her and I lived in the same project, which was called Hamels project in Rockaway Park. She was giving some sort of contest. She knew about my crew at this time “The A Team” because of the block parties and seeing us just bring our system out just because she lived there also. So she approached me and told me she was giving an m.c. contest up at Broadway International Disco. I heard of the place but I never been there. I was like sure. She gave me directions. But also let me know that the contest won’t before another 2 months, but the competition will be stiff. So she was going to send you by your self and not the whole crew? No, she just wanted me. Out of all the people rhyming, she just wanted me. When ever we played outside, I let the crew do their thing together, with their routines. Then I would get on the mic by myself. I clear the whole place out and just take over. She tells me the battle is in two months and gives me the directions on how to get there. So now I got two months to get my act together. So I go back to Castle Hill get my man Tray Dee (Sound Masters.) Talking about my man Rubin. Right, me and Rubin didn’t have any routines but we had a lot of rhymes combined, between us. So we practiced our s--- and made it real sharp. You know what I mean. First week we went there we won, killed it. That was like the semi finals. Then they had the finals. The first time I killed it I went up against Jaz O. That’s Jaz - O that was down with Jay- Z recently. I killed his ass the first week, the second week he bought the whole Marcy projects. So this was around 1983? Yeah, you might be right on the head. So you're coming from Queens, he’s coming from Brooklyn and ya’ll up in the Broadway International and no one is representing Harlem or the Bronx? No there were other crews doing their thing. KRS 1 was in it? No, he wasn’t in the contest he was down with the house s---. So when this kid Jaz- O comes back the second week you ain’t going to believe who he comes back with to d.j., none other than Jay- Z himself. So Jaz- O wins the second one, but the lady who bought me said it wasn’t fair, because Jaz- O wasn’t rhyming, he started singing. They was like this is not a singing contest. So you know being as he bought cats from his projects, when they asked who won, they made the most noise, breaking bottles and all that bulls---. So f--- it, he won. That is part of how me and Chris got together, as well as we were both homeless. We both stayed at the shelter on 166th street and Franklin avenue here in the Bronx. You know who our social worker was? Scott La Rock. He was also d.j.ing at Broadway International. He used to bug me out, because when I would see him at the shelter he would come out of his office with this suit, tie and shoes. I was like “n----- last night you was in a pair of Nikes and Lees’.” That’s what happened from there. That’s how me, Chris and Scott hooked up. So what caused the separation between you and Chris? I guess career moves? We still mad cool. So ya’ll didn’t have any hater ration or pissed at each other? No, not at all. Me and Chris were together a few weeks ago, at a Herc party, just bugging out. He just went one way with his career, he was on Jive records with I think Barry Weiss. And Moe Dee. Me and Moe was always cool, in fact he called me a couple of months ago because he was writing a book and doing a documentary. I don’t have no beef with nobody in the business. So how much work did you do with KRS1? Chris did the second album, and that was tragic because Scott La Rock got killed one week before the album came out, in fact he got killed the same night we all signed the contract. I don’t really want to get into that. Scott is my F------ brother. I think about him every day. Chris did two albums with me. The first one was with Mantronik. What up with DMX?
Exactly. So you knew all three of them? I knew Earl from way back in the days, back in 1992 I think when they kicked the new Music Seminar m.c. part out, and we had to hold it in the park on 93rd street and Amsterdam avenue. Remember that kid K Solo, remember when he made that record spell bound? Yeah. Well I heard DMX do that 3, 4 years before him. It was called the ABC’s. That is where K Solo got that from. DMX was rhyming way before he was making records. I heard that, I heard he was doing work on the mic up there in the prisons, when he was catching bids. That n----- is nice, and that I don’t say about a lot of mother f------. But DMX is nice. Nah kid, that’s my man, and I love that dude over Jay- Z. I ain’t going to front, and I know Jay- Z is getting paper. I can listen to DMX because is not saying the same thing twice, and you know he ain’t playing. Exactly. How did you get on with Mantronik? I met Mantronik at a club called Danceteria. I remember the place.
You wrote all of Latoya by yourself? I was a dish washer in an Italian restaurant, in lower Manhattan. I wrote it on my lunch break. Ben did the human beat box and we used the clap sound from the studio. How much did you blow up off that Latoya? I am still getting royalties for that. People always ask me to do it over, or do this. You don’t mess with perfection. (Troy starts laughing.) I like that. You could have done it over and got paid some more.
Exactly. So how did you feel about K Solo and Redman doing the remake? I like them n------. I am like cool, keep the music alive, just pay me. (Troy starts laughing.) So how did you get so cool with King Sun? Sun lives right down the block from me, I can walk down the block to him in 5 minutes. Ya’ll grew up together? Nah, Sun is from Patterson New Jersey. But he don’t want to tell nobody that! (We both start laughing.) Yo, you can’t tell Sun he from Jersey. Still how did ya’ll get so cool? I played at a club in Queens one night. It was called the U.S.A. Club. It was a roller rink. Back in the mid 80’s. Latoya was hitting. Cold Gettin' Dumb was hitting. Gangster of hip hop was hitting. So I was doing my show and I seen this big brother in the crowd, with one of those gangster hats on. Me and Ben was snapping on him in the back behind the curtains. We had a bad habit of being back stage and peeking through the curtains and snapping on cats in the crowd to each other. We was kids back then, I don’t know why we used to do it. So after I finished the show, Sun approached me, and I seen he had a Universal flag on. So I said peace. He said peace to the Gods, blah, blah, blah. My name is King Sun, blah, blah, blah. This was before “Hey Love” or anything. That’s how me and him met. Me and him are like brothers, we are the same exact way. That’s why cats don’t like us together. Why you say that? When me and Sun get together, its like I am not taking no for an answer, neither is he. So if somebody tells us no, he is in a lot of trouble. So you and Sun also helped rebuild the 5 Percent school on 126th street in Harlem? We didn’t do it with our hands, but a lot of people contributed to it. The Allah school was funded by its students, who are us. We don’t ask for any outside help, from any one. That school was given to us by Mayor Lindsey. That’s the one on 126th street and 7th avenue across from the Harlem State Office building on 125th street. Yes. It is looking beautiful. It is the only building on that block. It has a big Universal flag on it. I am sure a lot of money went to it as many times I have put money towards it. As well as Sun. But there is a whole bunch of us. You said Mayor Lindsey had something to do with this? He gave that school to us, because he knew we weren’t a bunch of cats back in the sixty’s that were about robbing, stealing, drugs and this and that. They seen that we were trying to do the betterment of our people. So the school was donated to us through the Mayor Lindsey. Do ya’ll still have the big rally’s in Fort Green and other places? In the Summer Fort Green park in Brooklyn, in the winter time Harriet Tubman school in Harlem on 127th street and 7th avenue. I remember ya’ll also used to have your rally’s in my projects. The baseball field use to be jam pack with 5 percenters. That’s right, sometimes when they didn’t want to use Mount Morris Park they would go to the Grant Projects. Right, there were a lot of guys from my project that were 5 percenters that I was kool with.
So what was your relationship with Mr. Magic? Magic is a trip, that’s my man. John, my man John. (Troy says “you is a funny brother.” We both start laughing.) See Magic is a totally different person today, than he was back then. That’s why I respect him so much. Why do you say that? Remember Fly Ty? That’s his brother or something like that, from what Ty told me? Nah, they ain’t related, that’s my man Tyrone Williams. Them two mother f------ got their own phone company. Yeah Ty was telling me that, he bugged me out with that. I said of all things ya’ll pick a phone company.
So ya’ll had a fall out? No fall out, I was going to shoot him! For what? Because he talks too f------ much. I heard he was pretty arrogant back then. He was very arrogant, you know how many times Tyrone had to pull me off of him. But now we all cool. That’s good to hear. So now what is this with the whole Juice Crew? You took a Shot Gun out to Queens and you was ready to bury cats? Yo that’s way back, and yo check this s--- out. It wasn’t the whole Juice Crew! I don’t even really like to talk about it, but when me and Black Poet last talked about it, we said we ain’t going to talk about it any more. See Poet wasn’t even down with Juice Crew. He made a record just dissing everybody. I heard “something, something and Just Ice will melt.” I was like “that’s all I need to hear.” Isn’t Poet supposed to be righteous? I didn’t know back then! All I know is me and two friends got in a car, I had a shot gun (We both start laughing.) my man had a shot gun, my other man had a 9. We went to Queens Village. We seen M.C. Shan, me and Shan is mad cool. Shan was like “what you doing out here? I said I am looking for this n----- named Poet. He said “that’s my man Just.” I said he talking about some Just Ice will melt s---, I am going to show him who the f--- is going to melt. He was like Just, squash that, that’s my man. (Just start laughing.) I say alright Shan that’s your man, talk to your man. (Troy starts laughing as Just Ice puts emphasis on “talk to your man.”) So that was the end of that. You know what, to this day me and Poet is mad cool. That’s cool. Matter of fact, I was supposed to do something with Poet. Me, him and Premiere are all down together. Premiere does records for me and Poet. Every time I go to the studio Poet is always there. Me and Po got nothing but love for each other. I am glad nothing ever happened. I told him, I said I am so glad nothing ever happened between that s---, because you mad cool son. But did he tell you why he said that lyric about you. He was just dissing every body. I think he was one of those m.c.s that didn’t know anybody so he said f--- it I am going to dis every body. (Just Ice starts laughing.) He was trying to get a name on the planet. Yeah, and me and Juice Crew was cool. I didn’t even know Po at the time. So you didn’t have any hate for any one from Juice Crew? Me and Juice Crew was cool. Come on Troy, 1984 was Sleeping Bag, that was us. 1986 was Cold Chilling Records that was Juice Crew. Remember Lenny Fisherbern, he was the owner of Cold Chilling Records. Fly Ty said to me one day, when you go to Sleeping Bag tomorrow stop over to Cold Chilling Records, I got a check for you for $200. So I say cool, the next day I go next door, I say “Tyrone said for me to come over, you have a check for me.” O.J. Wedlaw was there and others. It was no big surprise because a lot of us used to go back and forth to each other’s studio to take care of business and say what’s up. So Lenny Fisherbern says “you are not getting nothing.” Why did he tell me that in front of other people. It was me and my man O.C. of the Fearless Four. Shan was in there, the receptionist was there. The whole thing was, he was in there reading his paper, and come out in front of everybody and say “you are not getting nothing.” What was his reason for saying that? I think because Tyrone didn’t notify Lenny. So Lenny might have thought I was coming to rough $200. So I was trying to explain it to him, he still was on some I am not going to give you nothing. I looked at Oscar You said Oscar… (Troy is laughing.) Oscar was looking at me. I swung on him. Oscar was s------ bricks. He said Justice lets get the f--- out of here before they call the police on you. How did you and O.C. get so tight like that? Me and O.C. got tight through Tyrone, he was just a cool brother. Instead of running I went next door to my record company. If the cops come I was never over there. You know what I am saying. I tell you no lie Troy 15 minutes inside the record company, who comes in there but the receptionist from Cold Chilling Records with a check for $200! I hear that. Tyrone called me up on the phone screaming “what the f--- you swing on Lenny for?” (Just Ice laughing.) It was so funny because 5 years later Lenny still didn’t want to say nothing to me. One day one of the homies told me they seen his car up state and he put a note on his car that said “you can’t hide nowhere.” “From Just Ice.” I said “ah man,” all I could do was laugh. So was you real tight with Crazy Eddie as well? I didn’t know Eddie. When me and Oscar got cool, him and Ed started parting their ways. I was just recently asking about my n----- Peso and D.L.B. the other day, I was like dam, I haven’t heard from them in a long time. I know Tito is still doing his thing. Right Tito been doing his thing with his crew called Iron Clad. What up with Peso? He is up in Albany being a family man. Still involved with the music a little something. D.L.B is a school teacher, as well as going for his Master’s, if he hasn’t already received it.
Yeah that’s that Kool Moe Dee type of style. Yo Moe, when ever Moe Dee rhymed I kept a dictionary and thesaurus right next to me, because you had to look them words up. Mike is working for the New York City Housing Authority. I did a story with him also, his story was real good. He is a real funny dude. I got a tape were Grand Master Caz says you are the first Gangster Rapper. (tape 149.)How do you feel about people saying N.W.A was the first Gangster Rappers? N.W.A was probably first on the west coast, I didn’t know what was going on the west coast and I didn’t care. I am from Brooklyn dog. I am talking about what’s going on in New York. I know for a fact I was the first m.c. to ever throw that gangster s--- up on wax. So when people say N.W.A. was first I don’t even argue with them. Just cause I already know. So how did this go about you getting on the Self Destruction album?
So you was real cool with all those cats. To this day. When I finish with this interview with you I am going to call Doug up. Alright how long did it take before you and the rest of the other m.c.s felt this record was going to be hot? Always when you are mixing it down, that is when you can tell if it is going to be hot or not. Was everybody in there at the same time? No, you couldn’t have that, there wouldn’t have been enough room. I think they did it in 3 segments. Back in the day Power Play was big, and there was always a lot of us in there. Even upstairs in the other studio we would record. M.C. Lyte would be there, L.L. was further upstairs. I think she asked him to get on, but he was bound by contract to Def Jam. That was my next question, how did ya’ll feel about him not coming down there to lay down his lyrics? He was obligated to his contract. So did he say he wanted to be on this? Yeah, L. was cool with everybody, he wanted to do it. I read in a magazine that he was very arrogant about it. He wanted his separation from the others, and wanted no parts of the record. So I am glad you are clearing this up. No he wasn’t like that, Lyte went up there to get him, he was going to come down and everything. Naw, L. is cool with everybody. Here’s something for you, my part was down at the Tombs jail, in downtown Manhattan, right next to Joel Steinberg. That’s the cat they just let out earlier this year. Interesting. Who made the beat? D- Nice had something to do with it as well as KRS1. I think Doug was kind of questioning the beat, that’s why he did his own version when his part came up. In fact Doug does his beat box. Right but the beat was still kind of mixed in there. Yeah it was mixed back and forth. But he is beat boxing. Did ya’ll ever tour that record? Nah. So there was never no time that ya’ll all performed that record together. No, in fact to this day I don’t know where that money went for that. You never seen a dime for that? Not really. It was split amongst what… 15, 20 people? We never got an advance or nothing for that. Did they ever tell ya’ll how much was made from that cut? Nah. That’s something else, because I know that was a popular record for awhile when it first came out. It is still selling today. What about the L.A. rappers, were they competing with ya’ll? Oh you talking about the joint “We are all in the same gang?” Yeah, I used to like that video. It was cool, then Chris came back with some Heal s---. Freddie Fox was down before he changed his name to Bumpy Knuckles. They was into that. After Self Destruction, I was like I am not into that other stuff. Imagine trying to get 15 cats now. The subject would be about blasting people. Who got the most jewelry, who got the best car, what type of rims you sitting on son. That type of s---. Try and make a Self Destruction type record now in this time and age. So how you making out now? I know I could do better. Me and Premiere make records every year. Underground, I still make money. Over Seas I am considered a God, I am just scared to fly. I just had a foot operation, Doug Fresh said soon as the boot goes back on we going to do interviews and he is going to take me touring with him. I do shows off and on. I don’t like to do them in New York and New Jersey. Why is that? They take Rappers for granted. Being as this is where we come from, they see us a lot, they take us for granted, because they hear us a lot. Its not like you hear my record everyday but Flex does play the new s--- me and Premiere put out, but he plays it every now and then. Its like real dirty. I like to more or less do states like Nebraska, Ohio, Kentucky. You know the mid west. Arkansas, Little Rock they show me a lot of love there. I go to Philadelphia right now and sell the whole place out by my self. My man Charlie Mack is Will Smiths right hand man. Me and Will is mad cool, I speak to Jazzy Jeff on the regular. Mack told me the other day, “I don’t know what it is about you, your records never went out of style in Philadelphia. You can come out here right now and sell out a place all by your self. I said get the f--- out of here. He said you are considered the King out here. I said in Philly? So I call my aunt and she said “yeah I just heard your record on the radio.” I said what record? She said Just Ice, Going way back. I said Going way back? So I do shows, but the tri state area kind of takes rhyming for granted because everybody does it, and this is where it comes from. I hear what you are saying. So how you feel about Bronx not really representing right now? Hey we have our ups and our downs. Mother f------ start talking that Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan as far as that rhyming. I go and find Herc and take you back to where it started. I don’t give a f--- where it is at now, it wouldn’t be where it is at, if it didn’t come from a strong foundation of the Bronx. Nah the Bronx is supposed to get ultimate props. Thank you for this story Just. No problem Troy, peace.
Praises God and God Bless you all.
|
Just Ice
Well it was a record. The
Mexican by Babe Ruth! My man happened to be playing records. He was playing records
that I wasn’t hearing in Brooklyn. He was playing the Mexican, Tom
Scott and L.A.. He also played the original Watts Stax. The original
Baby Huey “listen to me.” I was like “yo that’s the s---.” I
never did like “Love is the message.” That was that Brooklyn s---.
They was into a lot of that R&B in Brooklyn. D.J. Coffin, the Disco
Twins. When you come uptown to the Bronx you had Bam, Herc, Mario,
Flash, Barron and Breakout. I remember the first night Love Bug Star Ski
played Apache, in the Hotel Diplomat. This is the very first time it was
played, because it was only played uptown in the Bronx. Lower Manhattan,
and a little bit of uptown still wasn’t up on that type of music yet.
Every since then, it was a rap. In the seventies you didn’t hear
Apache in Brooklyn. You didn’t hear Boobie Knight and the Love Maniacs
(Walk like Sex jam.). You didn’t hear “Listen to me.” Nor “The
Mexican.”
Yes, I used to sneak into the
Black Door, the P.A.L. at Webster. In fact we used to call Flash, D.J.
Joey before he started calling himself Flash. In fact when he did become
Flash he had a crew called the Grand Masters Crew, which featured him
and Theodore. Then they broke up. Theodore took Grand Wizard Theodore
and Flash took Grand Master Flash. It was a bunch of nobody dudes, but
Theodore and Flash were the main attraction.
Mostly to give a little
sample of what was going with the foundation of hip hop and where it
came from. That’s why it is called Going Way Back. A lot of cats in
1986 didn’t know what was going on way back, all they knew about was
the records that were being played at that particular time. So I had to
let mother f------ know where all that s--- was coming from. To be honest I
feel bad, because I didn’t mention Mario. Also whenever I see Busy
Bee he always says why didn’t I mention his name.
I don’t know where Ben is
at? I think he is in Jersey, I haven’t talked to him in years. Let
them know there is three DMX’s. Davy DMX is the original. Then there
was DMX my beat box. Then you have DMX who was then known as Dark Man X.
That’s the brother who is making movies now, Earl Simmons.
One night Africa Islam was up
there playing, I was rolling with him. Islam is Islam, he is playing
records nobody else was playing. So I grabbed the mic and tore it up.
Who was standing right there? Mantronik! I didn’t know who the hell
this little nerdy looking guy was. He asked me my name and I tell him
Justice. He said what was my m.c. name? I tell him Just Ice. He was like
you want to make some records? He gave me his number blah, blah, blah.
One thing led to another with me and Ben. I took my last twenty two
dollars, went to the studio right on Myrtle avenue and Saint Lawrence,
(In Brooklyn, Fort Green section.) and recorded “Put that record back
on.” That was the first joint I ever did. I took it to Sleeping bag
records. Sleeping Bag was cool, but they said they need something else
to go on the other side. They said they didn’t want to put the vocals
on one side and the instrumental on the other side. So me and Ben went
back. I took them $17, they said they would give me 2 hours for $17.
Yo I did “Cold getting dumb
over.” The only reason was cause K Solo and Redman did it. I was
in jail coming out of the shower, my homies was like “yo J boogie,
check this out.” I’m like “what.” They like “ain’t that Cold
Gettin' Dumb?” I’m like “I hear the music but I don’t hear
me.” I’m hearing K Solo and Redman. So when I get out of jail I go
straight to the record company, and I ask “did anybody license these
cats to use my style?” At this time a cat name Adam Levy bought
everything from Sleeping Bag. So he had the copy rights to “Cold
Gettin' Dumb.” He handed me a check, he was like yeah we didn’t
forget about you. So when they did that, that’s when I said I am going
to do a Cold Gettin' Dumb 3. It did good on the West Coast. But it
wasn’t as grimy or dirty as when Mantronik did it. In reference to me
doing Latoya over, that’s crazy. To me it would sound terrible and it
will take away from the original.
Yo Magic and Tyrone have
their own. Its called Magic something, or Fly Magic some s---. They have
their own phone company dog. Ty also doing something with these
Steppers. This band over here some where by Utica avenue. I went over
there one day. The band took like first or second place in the nation.
Even Russell Simmons donated money to that. But me and Mr. Magic, we
cool, but back in the days I couldn’t stand him.
D.L.B was always one of those
smart brothers any way. You can tell by the way he was rhyming. Half the
s--- D.L.B was saying you have to look in the dictionary.
Everybody
was over at Power Play Studio, the person I believe in command of that
project was Ann Carli and she was from Jive records. She was picking out
m.c.s that she wanted for this project. KRS1 was like if you are going
to have this project, it is going to have to be real. So you are going
to have to have people down that are for real about it. He tells her you
are going to have to put Just down. She was like Just Ice is too
Gangster, he is too radical. Chris was like that is the reason why he
should be on there. She was like “No!” When she said no, Doug E
Fresh said if you not going to put Justice on I am not going to be on
there. When Doug said that, Chuck D said he isn’t down if Doug and
Justice isn’t. Then Heavy D followed suit and it became a domino
effect. So Ann Carli had no other choice but to be down on that.
I
want to thank my man Rubin aka Tray Dee of the Sound Masters who put me
on to Just Ice, and the family from the Oldschoolhiphop.com message
board. They also contributed questions to this story. Thank you also
Jayquan.